The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) was stood up to better position the Department of Defense (DoD) to acquire commercial solutions and talent. The DIU is the signature part of the Department’s efforts to create and foster commercial partnerships within multiple innovation ecosystems across the United States. It is a first-of-its-kind unit for the Department, staffed by some of DoD’s best technologists, active-duty and reserve personnel, government civilians and contracted consultants. There are currently four offices in Mountain View, CA, Cambridge, MA, Washington DC, and Austin, TX.
Core Responsibilities: The Portfolio Analyst will provide business operations and professional services in support of the Portfolio Director and Program Managers. The Portfolio Analyst will support the Portfolio Director’s core DIU mission in acting as an interface between the DOD, entrepreneurs, start-up firms, and commercial technology companies to increase DOD access to leading edge commercial technologies, processes and technical talent.
Portfolio Support
o Develop and maintain a high-level knowledge on projects across the portfolio and assist the Director
o Daily support of the Portfolio Operations and Director
o Briefing diverse audiences on ongoing projects and issues as needed
o Work with the Director and the DIU Strategic Communications Team to more effectively communicate successes across the DoD and other affiliated organizations (e.g., DIU Annual Report, Congressional Updates, etc).
Project Support
o Conducts market research and engages with commercial sector to support project curation and execution (as needed)
o Assists on contracting activities and documents in support of the portfolio directors and program/project managers
Content Creation
o Technical writing
o Drafting, creating and editing presentations, reports, summaries and minutes of meetings, white papers
o Portfolio branding and storytelling materials
The ideal candidate should have:
Strong written and oral communication skills; the ability to present complex matters clearly and simply; effective organizational skills; the ability to be proactive, take initiative and follow through
Demonstrated ability to gather and analyze a variety of data points (qualitative and quantitative) and whittle that information down to the most salient insights for the Portfolio’s business needs
Ability to distill and communicate highly complex issues for a technical and at times a non-technical audience
Proficient computer skills, Google Suite a plus
Capacity to thrive in a culture where self-motivation is necessary, and communication is paramount. Ability to juggle numerous tasks and competing priorities
Understand the expectations of supervisors/stakeholders/teammates and develop strong working relationships to achieve shared goals. Build strong relationships with both external candidates and internal business partners. Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
High level of responsibility, ownership and accountability
Able to effectively debate and use data as the basis of your argument
Passion for great DoD-Silicon Valley customer experiences